Guided Tours to visit Scottish Castles

Which is your favourite Scottish Castle?
Tell us and we will take you there.
But when we ourselves are asked this question, it is harder...

	Dunvegan? for a glimpse of the soul of Skye. Caerlaverock? for its unblinking power and island solidity.
	Dunnottar? for its faded grandeur and extraordinary history. Crathes? for its exuberant architecture and wonderful painted ceilings.
	Cawdor? for its opulent perfection as an elegant home in a 14th century castle.   Eilean Donan? for its sheer beauty.

Our castle days are just for you and your group. We will meet you at your hotel or at the airport. Anywhere in Scotland. We will introduce you to all or any of the above - or countless others. It will be a pleasure. They are old friends.

Our Services

Our service is designed for those who want to understand something of a castle's history and unique personality as well as taking its photograph. All our guides have an understanding of Scottish history and, whilst not academics, can explain a little of why this castle was built and by whom and what was going on in Scotland at the time. They understand why various aspects of the building are significant and can point out unusual, quirky or unique details. As we approach each castle, our guide will briefly take you through the stories surrounding it so that you know what to expect.

The Eagle Stone, Strathpeffer

As we travel, our guide will point out and explain all the buildings, monuments and sites of interest that are marked on the tourist maps. But we will also stop and look at some less obvious items of interest - a Pictish stone with its enigmatic inscriptions near the road, a particularly lovely view, or the line of a 'drove road' used by Highlanders taking their cattle to the lowland markets three hundred years ago.

Our guide can accompany you for half a day, a full day, or for a trip around Scotland of up to a week. It's up to you. We specialise in small parties, but are happy to look after a minibus or a fifty-seater coach if required. For larger groups, we work alongside the driver of the vehicle, but in a car we find that the best arrangement is for the guide to act as driver. Our clients can then relax and enjoy the splendours of Scotland without the trials of driving on the 'wrong' side of some rather windy roads!

Most of our guides wear a kilt or tartan skirt; some do not. If a tartan-clad guide is important to you, we will arrange this! More important, from our perspective, is that all of our guides live in Scotland, know the country well, and share an infectious enthusiasm for Scottish culture and heritage.

Like every country, Scotland has its fair share of large, luxurious (but rather anonymous) hotels and mass market souvenir shops. Our guides prefer to avoid these and will introduce you, where possible, to shops, inns and tea rooms that boast some individuality and charm. 'Charm' occasionally means erratic service, uneven flagstones or a garrulous barman, but we think it is worth it!

Suggested Tours

Our service is designed to be tailored to your requirements - you sit at home looking at images of wonderful Scottish Castles on the Internet, then when you come to Scotland we make sure that you are not disappointed! But people often ask us for suggestions as to itineraries. It seems invidious to pick and choose amongst so many wonderful but vastly different places, but you ask .....and so here goes!

We have chosen to outline a few trips from Inverness merely because this is our base. We hope that this will give you an idea of our approach. Please email us at info@clansandcastles.com with your own ideas for tours you would like us to arrange for you.

West of Inverness Eilean Donan Castle, looking out over the water to Skye, is surely the most photographed castle in Scotland - and deservedly so. It also has some great stories to tell.

Eilean Donan Castle

On the way over there's another photographer's favourite, Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness; and the drive through to the west coast goes through wild Glenshiel with its battle site and beneath the high peaks known as the 'Five Sisters of Kintail'. The views over Loch Duich are dramatic - the picture by the logo at the top of this page was taken on one of these trips. It may also be possible to take a very quick look at the Isle of Skye crossing over in a small car ferry and returning by the new Skye Bridge. This gives way to classic rocky highland grandeur in Strathbran and, coming back down to civilisation, Beauly Priory warrants a visit if there is time.

East of Inverness Cawdor Castle is fully furnished and occupied in the wintertime by the Dowager Lady Cawdor (widow of the 6th Earl and 25th Thane). The central keep has, amazingly, survived intact since the late fourteenth century as have the family which descends directly from the original builders. The castle is full of fascinating relics and lovely furnishings; the gardens warrant an hour in their own right.

Between these two is the extraordinary Rait Castle; some say that it is haunted - find out for yourself, perhaps at Halloween when you can also pick the best sloes in Scotland in the overgrown gardens! If time permits, Castle Stuart and Kilravock Castle are nearby - both are old, picturesque and claim Bonnie Prince Charlie as a houseguest.

Strathspey and Royal Deeside

Strathspey, once best known as an elegant highland dance, is now more famous for its distilleries which can be added in to any trip. The route from Inverness to Grantown-on-Spey gives great views of the Cairngorms, downstream is the splendid Ballindalloch Castle, a wonderful example of gracious living through the ages, and further on by the Glenlivet distillery are the massive walls of Balvenie Castle which protected the power base of successive warlords and Earls from the 13th to the 16th centuries.

Lochindorb Castle Courtesy of Sue-Ellen Welfonder

A longer route is over the wild and windswept Lecht Pass to 'Royal Deeside' and the Queen's Highland home of Balmoral, passing Corgarff Castle, packed with military history - it sits out in the heather like a toy fort. The way back has to be via Lochindorb, and the island stronghold of the 'Wolf of Badenoch'.

Picts, Macbeth and Moray

Macbeth was king of Moray and the first stop on this trip is flower-famous Forres - also scene of the battle in Act I of 'Macbeth'. No trace of King Macbeth survives but you can see an enormous and extraordinary intricately carved Pictish stone commemorating a battle fought seven hundred years before Shakespeare's birth. South of Forres, in a tranquil wooded valley is Pluscarden, a beautiful thirteenth century Abbey, revived this century as the core of a working monastery. Nearby is Elgin, an attractive city with an evocative ruined cathedral; between Elgin and the sea in what used to be an extensive marsh called the Laich of Moray are Duffus Castle, a battle-scarred ruin, of the motte and bailey age (c.1151) and Spynie Palace, the incredibly well-preserved 13th century seat of the Bishops of Moray. From here Pictish enthusiasts will visit the remains of Burghead fort, castle enthusiasts press on to Huntly and foodies can visit the famous Baxters of Speyside factory at Fochabers.

Caithness and Sutherland

Dunrobin Castle was inspired by Queen Victoria's new house at Balmoral, but it is much more elegant and the 'candle-snuffer' towers and wonderful formal gardens give it the feel of a French château; inside is a wonderful selection of paintings, tapestries and furniture. The route to Dunrobin is through some spectacular scenery and birdwatchers will want to pause by the salt marshes at Loch Fleet. Then Helmsdale, beautiful Kildonan and the 'flow country' beckon from the north. Alternatively, the stone age excavations at Lairg and the Falls of Shin, with salmon leaping impressively in late autumn, warrant the diversion on the way home.

Finally, not really a castle trip but beautiful, fascinating and an important part of Scottish history.......

The Jacobites


Culloden Battlefield

It's probably best to start at the end - at Culloden Battlefield and the exhibition there which sets the scene. After the battle Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped through to Loch Ness and the West Coast. Follow the road he took, by Strathnairn and Stratherrick - it is particularly picturesque and leads down to Fort Augustus Abbey - where the original fort was blown up by the Jacobites shortly before Culloden. A few more 18th century military routes bring you through to Badenoch and another 18th century fort at Ruthven where the last of the defeated Jacobites gathered, then dispersed to the glens, after both the 1715 and 1745 risings. It is a sad tale but a wonderfully romantic one!

Clan Connections For those returning to their roots, we can arrange tours to see your own clan or family buildings. For example, Castle Leod (pictured right) at Strathpeffer, north of Inverness, is an essential part of any Mackenzie Tour which encompasses the Trail of the famous Brahan Seer. Contact us to find out your clan castle(s) or other historic homes where your ancestors once lived.

Castle Leod